Creamy Spinach Pasta with Avocado (Green Noodles)

Sometimes red sauce gets old. Even the crazy-good Roasted Balsamic Tomato Sauce I made and froze last summer just doesn’t sound so great to me. Unless it’s on pizza. Pretty much anything on a pizza is on my nice list these days.

Clearly I’m still having carb cravings.

After my kids inhaled this brightly colored pasta (which was odd because they don’t usually like pasta that much), I started thinking of other colors and vegetable combinations I could try.

Butternut squash & carrots would make a gorgeous orange. Summer squash & yellow bell peppers would work for yellow. I’d considered doing a purple pasta sauce with a beet base, but Bev beat me to it. (aka… did the work for me. Thanks, hon!)

I’ll give those a whirl, and get back to you.

Speaking of vegetables, this is a great one if you have gobs of spinach you need to use up. The sauce gets a lot of its flavor from the garlic, a big dollop of Greek yogurt, and some fresh Romano cheese, but I threw an avocado in the sauce just for kicks. And because it was also green. Smart move — it gave it an extra dose of creaminess without having to add a lot of cheese. Fresh basil would have been a great addition, too!

Instructions

Get the pasta cooking in a very large pot of salted boiling water. When it's finished, drain pasta from the pot, setting aside about 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Return pasta to large pot and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the spinach to the saucepan (Yes, the pan will be full. Just stuff it all in.)

Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Let the mixture cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the spinach is completely wilted. Add the yogurt, avocado, and 2-3 Tablespoons of reserved pasta water to the spinach mixture.

Stir it a bit, then buzz it up with an immersion blender. (If you don't have one, transfer to a food processor or a blender. Blend well, and return sauce to the pot.)

Stir in the cheese, and add more pasta water if it seems too thick. If your pasta is still hot, simply toss the pasta and sauce together in a large serving bowl. If it's not, then combine the past and sauce in one of the pots (preferably the larger one) and cook over medium low until everything is hot. Add salt and pepper, to taste and serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese.

I love pasta with green sauce! Pesto, spinach, arugula, whatever! But I’ve never tried avocados before. I wonder if they turn a little brown the next day? I like the greek yogurt idea. I’ve used a couple tbs. of cream cheese in the past and really liked the flavor.

Would you believe they have it in the bulk section of a grocery store here? (Winco) I’ve also seen it at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and some regular grocery stores in the pasta or gluten-free section. I think it’s a lot less heavy than whole wheat pasta, but it can get really gummy if it’s cooked too long.

Hello from Australia! I have just discovered your website, and as a vegetarian I am so excited about all the lovely things to cook. I made the ‘green noodles’ for dinner tonight and they are delicious (just like your daughter, I had to go back for seconds)! I look forward to trying out lots of your other recipes. : )

Mmmm, looks delicious! I need to try this out on my kids! Occasionally I’ll make homemade pasta with spinach blended into the actual pasta(it makes it an awesome green color!) and they love it, how awesome would that be with this sauce? :D

I came across this recipe and was so happy I had all the components to make it happen. I just finished eating it- and it was delish!! I added some sauted shrimp to the top of it bc I need a little protein. The rest of the recipe I followed to a “T” and it was quick and easy. I plan on adding this to my rotation! It was put together in the time it took to cook the noodles. Thanks for the great dinner :D

This was incredible! I’d been wanting to try Giada’s version (with arugula), but tried this first since spinach was on hand. Our entire family loved it! I am not usually a fan of cooked spinach, so I was kinda nervous- but the taste was just right. Thanks for a great, healthy recipe!

Welcome Megan! I made some Parmesan-Ranch Chicken Strips (a cleaned up version using homemade buttermilk dressing mix). I just barely posted that recipe so it’s still on the front page of the blog. I also added a link to it in this post just now. Thanks for reminding me!

Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve made it loads of times since you posted, and when I saw my 16 month old devouring it (yet again) tonight – this time with the addition of cherry tomatoes – I knew that the time had come to delurk and say thank you.

I recently discovered your site, and couldn’t be happier with your recipes. After going Gluten free and Non-GMO as a result of my roommates eating habits, I’m always looking for great “Real Food” recipes, and this is certainly one. SO easy and absolutely delish! I added Basil, some crushed red pepper, and lemon juice and eliminated the butter, substituting EVOO. I may even thin it a bit and use as a salad dressing. I could eat this everyday of the week! Thanks!!

made this and LOVED it.
but i found it quite bland. not a bad thing as was easy on a queasy stomach :)
i think it was because of a couple of things: i didnt have fresh garlic so used some from a jar & was afraid to add to much.. i should have added more
the basil my recipe called for – all i had was dried- again i didnt put enough in..* i rehydrated in the hot pasta water before blending)
and i didnt put a lot of the cheese on top.. should have added WAY more cause it was really good (have never had fresh grated parmesan before. boy am i a convert!!)
i WILL be making this again as i loved the creamy texture of the sauce tho i might add a 2nd avocado just because when i do.. :)
cheers

Looking for Something?

Hi, I’m Natalie!

All families deserve a stash of healthy, easy meals that their kids love. Since 2008, Perry's Plate has become our stash of winning recipes -- many of which are paleo and gluten-free. I hope you find some recipes that become your favorites, too!